For years this used to be my go to wine store. Sadly, the wine inventory has dwindled and there's not much to choose from. My favorite wines have been out of stock for almost a year. I stop by once in a while, hoping things have turned around for the owners. It's still not looking good. read more

Really nice spot in Delaware Plaza. We normally visit Empire Wine when we need adult beverages in the Albany area, but stopped in here since we were already nearby to meet friends for dinner. They have a nice selection of NYS wines and liquors right when you enter the store and they had some selections from my favorite wineries in the Finger Lakes (although, sadly, they don't carry Ravines). They also had some nice selections of Garnacha from Spain. I scored two reasonably priced bottles ($10 and $13). The store is well laid out and the checkout person was super nice. I would most definitely return here next time I am in the area. read more

So, a wine provisioner needs to offer expertise and responsiveness to the customer "demographic". For the past 5+ years I had the best experience for a vinophile ever. I could call in to Alison from my home in DC and ask her to select a case of wine for my Mother & Sister. She would carefully curate a case, reflecting on feedback of what "landed" with them and adding new wines with attributes that she thought would resonate with them. Really nice lady, expert in her craft. I enjoyed our conversations and feel I made a friend in Albany NY. And she brought joy to my family, bottle after bottle, year in and year out. Thank you, Upstate! Very much appreciated! read more

A behemoth, but largely empty store. The lack of inventory is a puzzle, unless the chain (?) is on its last legs. Minimal selections under French wine, or Italian wine, or things like California Zinfandel. The prices are okay, but no bargains to be found. The salespeople leave a lot to be desired. One older woman offered to help, gave me some lame, not accurate advice on wine, and then corrected me on my referring to a French white as a white Burgundy telling me "no, its Chardonnay". Duh: all white Burgundy is chardonnay and when grown in Burgundy it's called white Burgundy. Despite her unwarranted self confidence she was unfamiliar with other wines about which I inquired. Male service people are socially awkward, avoid eye contact, and resent their reverie of inactivity being interrupted; don't attempt to make conversation. They're anxious to get back to staring off into space and doing nothing. Prime location in the 4 corners section of Delmar. What a waste; what a disappointment. I suppose if you are going to Hannaford for groceries and don't want to travel this is a good emergency stop. read more

I agree with all of the best reviews, but most importantly, they are some of the nicest people to deal with.

I decided to take up wine drinking and have been saying this for a while, so with the recent pandemic I decided to get on this ASAP. Once at Upstate Wine and Spirit I was very overwhelmed because I didn't realize there were so many choice. I was approached by a very nice woman that worked there she ask me what I was looking for I said this is my second time and I think I want to do something sweet.... I tried dry in the past and wasn't fan at all it remind me of grape juice mixed with beer and I am not a huge beer fan.. So she recommend Bully hills sweet Walters and Barefoot Wine... they were both under 10 bucks which I thought hmm this might not work but let's try and I'm glad I did. They both are really good especially with cheeses, olives and salads. I look forward with returning back to this establishment especially getting help from the awesome people that work there. read more

I love this store, it's convenient and the wines are well priced. I've chatted with the owner many times and he's great. The staff, however is seriously lackluster. Its mostly a bunch of high school boys who are more interested in bs'ing with each other than helping customers. I walked up to the counter tonight, put my wine on the counter and got zero response to my hello. The kid rang my bottles up, scanned my rewards club tag and said nothing except "wait for the green light" on the cc machine. Really dude? Todd, c'mon...your staff needs a class in customer service. read more

This place has hereby been dubbed *MY* Liquor Store. I love this place, and if it wasn't for a few Wednesday morning meetings, I'd come out to Delmar/Bethlehem JUST to come to this place. Speaking of, I might just drop by tomorrow for their FREE wine tastings that happen every Saturday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm totally NOT a lush. And don't get me wrong, the liquor selection here isn't super-duper-stupendously awesome, but it's no worse than any other liquor/wine store I've stepped into over on this side of the country. I'm pretty sure New York is the one state that's stricter and stranger than Oregon about their liquor laws. In any case, where this place totally excels is in the crazy awesome selection of wine. It's a wine-lover's paradise. Vino paradiso. No joke. And thus far, I haven't gotten a bad wine from them. There's a huge selection from many different regions, and many different styles. You'd have to go see it for yourself. I love it, and that's the reason I keep going back at 9 a.m. Wednesdays when they open (yup, how cool is it that they open that early?! Yelpaholics unite...!). One note, though: I really wish they sold chocolate in tandem with the wines and did wine-chocolate pairings. I asked someone there about it, and they said it was some sort of law that you can't sell wine with foodstuffs, and you can't sell beer and wine together, either. See? Weird stuff, NY, weird stuff. Worth the drive. Hands-down. read more

Although I typically loathe Delaware Plaza, I really do like this place. They have a great wine selection and the liquor selection isn't bad either. The staff is always extremely friendly and helpful, and they never seem to mind when I run in to grab something at 8:57 p.m. They even laugh (or pretend to) at my jokes. That gets high marks with me. It's clean, bright and welcoming, just like any good store should be. It really has a neighborhood kind of feel despite being in a shopping plaza. Great selection of wines, with a pretty fair representation of Spanish and South American varieties, which is my preference. Also their prices are really fair and they often have a few wines on special. Thanks to these folks, I got totally hooked on $5 bottles of vinho verde all summer. There's also a clearance rack, and I can get my monthly fix of "Food and Wine" magazine here. Come to think of it, with the exception of Empire, this is probably my favorite wine shop. And while the prices at Empire are lower and the selection larger, Delaware definitely gives you more one-on-one assistance and they haven't steered me wrong yet. read more

I've been a regular here for years and recommend it highly. The selection of both wine and spirits is truly awesome. Their biggest asset is the staff, which is friendly and extremely knowledgable--I've never got a bad bottle of wine here in 30 years. read more

The girls in the store are helpful, I find, but the guys don't give an inch in the area of polite conversation, seeming are above it all and irritated to have to mingle with the customers. This has happened to me two or three times. I'm not there to have a conversation, but just showing some politeness or a smile is always a plus for a store if they want to stay in business. Baby, it's cold in there! Wear a fur coat. Maybe if the manager reads these posts he'll drop a suggestion into the little darlings' ears and tell them to lighten up. A plus: I did find an amazing pre mixed bottle of Margaritas. Delicious! All you do is pour it in the glass and enjoy. read more

Not long ago, I grabbed a few bottles of wine for an impromptu party. As I hurriedly signed my receipt, the cashier said, "You've made some great choices, you'll have a wonderful time." I replied that I hoped so, because I was having a few friends over and we were all going to watch "Mega Python Vs. Gatoroid" starring Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. When I got home I discovered that one of the bottles I'd purchased was a 2007 Tardieu Laurent Chateauneuf-du-Pape. But what the hell, it's Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and GIANT MONSTERS. So the evening was more successful due to the restraint of the cashier in not pointing out that I'd inadvertently bought a ninety dollar bottle of incredible wine. More recently, Delmar Plaza Liquor store was really gracious in special ordering a bottle of Bols Genever for me, a relatively obscure proto-gin from the Netherlands. And they've also added a small selection of bitters. And they have Luxardo Amaretto, the only amaretto males will willingly drink. read more

I bought my first bottle of wine from this "store" about 1974, when it was still owned and operated by the Devine family. They were then located in a much smaller space on the other wing of Delaware Plaza. It has always been a great store, with a fine selection of wines, and wonderful, personal service. The current store is, I think, their 3rd location in the plaza. Todd has been there for a long time, first as an employee of Mr Devine, and now as the owner. He is well educated, and his personality and caring attitude is reflected not only in his own actions, but in his meticulous choices of those behind the counters and in the aisles. Of all the shops I have tried in the capital district area, this is certainly top tier, and my own personal favorite. I don't buy in quantities, as some folks do, but any time I go into the store, they make me feel like a family member or close friend. And that atmosphere is never "put on". It is always there .. consistent, and refreshingly rare in today's challenging retail world. On a scale of 1 to 10, Todd's place is at least an 11. Doug Hasbrouck Glenmont read more

I simply cannot rave about this place enough! I recently had a wine and cheese party and the owner, Todd, was WAY more than helpful - and happy to do it! Now the cheese part of the party was no problem - I knows me some cheese! But it shames me to admit, I'm not a wine girl. I love to cook with it, but for drinking - not so much. So obviously this gave me more than a little anxiety! My pal Margaret (and her awesome husband Steve) are wine people and sent me to Todd. He first asked my budget - never trying to steer me to the higher priced items, helped me pick out exactly what we needed and then.... offered to let me borrow his extra 100 or so wine glasses! I don't know if he does this for everyone or just took pity on me because I was so pathetic... but what an awesome experience! The manager (I think his name was Mark? ) was also really terrific! He even helped me write the poofy little descriptions for the table cards. His awesome sense of humor and knowledge made what could have been an extreemly stressful experience - dare I say it? ...fun!! Thanks guys! I will always come back to your store for all my wine purchases! read more

This is one of the best stores I have ever purchased alcohol from. The staff are knowledgable and friendly. Todd is an owner that has pride in his business and it shows in how well he treats his customers. read more

Liquor shelves getting bare, vodka selection is half what it was and very mundane. Went in for a bottle of Smirnoff, didn't have it except in small bottles. read more

I recently called Todd and inquired about a gift certificate. I reside in Florida, and the person I wanted to get the gift certificate to works right up the street from Todd. Instead of mailing the certificate for me, Todd offered to walk it up the street. Without prompting, Todd called me the next day to inform me that the gift certificate had been delivered. Of course, I had already heard of the delivery from a very pleased customer. Fantabulous customer service! Thank you! read more